Heritage Barriers

Grade 2 Listed Property

The two pictures below highlight a grade II listed building that was protected from flooding using Floodguards in Chester.

There are several key issues that are addressed in this solution.

1. Matching the build-out posts behind the Floodguards’ backframe to the stone door surround.
2. Matching the backframe colour to the wall. The colour could have been more closely matched but the local government conservation officer was satisfied with this.
3. Hiding the channel under the original paving slabs, in the front door photo above.

Grade 1 Listed Property

The next step is to adapt our backframes to suit Grade I listed buildings.

For “on-wall” solutions using Floodguards we know we can colour match the backframe to suit any wall or door frame given the exact colour code and we know we have the lowest profile at 30mm on the market.
We can probably also mould the frames to mimic brick and stone work.

Meanwhile the white barriers in the photos below have been installed on Grade I listed 14th Century actors cottages in Stratford for the Royal Shakespear Company. The three pictures show the barriers in-situ. The first picture below shows that just a few studs are visible in the wall when the barriers are not in use. Whilst the bottom picture shows the locating bar and the bolts in place to secure the barrier.

Each barrier is custom made to fit the opening so it can cope with brick and stone walls with many inundations and imperfections.
In this case the local conservation officer was very happy with our solution.

For “off-wall” solutions the use of Rapidam Freestanding is an easy option for protecting large manor houses, churches, historical gardens, listed monuments and the like. Rapidam can be erected quickly and simply during a flood warning and using the earth anchors or suitable anchor points no lasting scars are left to show that a temporary flood defence solution is to hand.

Flooding isn’t the only problem associated with maintaining older properties though and rising damp, mould growth and failed plaster are often a problem.